Back in the Wild Wild West

Let me start off by saying, I hate guns. I have always hated guns. In light of the recent dog attack on our chickens (for those of you who didn't hear, 2 dogs came onto our property about a week ago and killed 2 of our chickens. They ended up terrorizing the neighborhood that day, fatally wounding a sheep and 3 pigs. Both dogs were caught and "destroyed) many locals have told us that we should have a gun to protect our animals and property. It seems like such a casual thing around here...own property....own animals...own a gun. I guess it's all part of living the farm life.

A Lesson in Patience

There are many things in a day that demand patience, a tantruming child, potty training, a one year old that likes to climb everything, cats that leave half eaten mice on the doorstep, chickens that keep trying to get inside the house, dogs that come inside covered in burdocks or turkey droppings, and now, there's one more.....a dial-up internet connection.
We've finally gotten internet but it's so painfully slow. Jackson and I sat here, huddled around the computer, listening to the tell tale screeches, buzzes and hums of the computer connecting to the internet. It was funny, how excited we were to hear those sounds but that excitement quickly wore off when it took nearly 5 minutes to load the first webpage. Oh well, I guess I really shouldn't complain, horribly slow internet is still better than no internet.
I'm looking forward to reconnecting to the rest of the world. My blog updates won't be as frequent as I had wanted them to be, nor will they be filled with photos from our new adventure. Maybe you'll all just have to come here and experience it firsthand rather than through a computer screen.

Anybody out there?

So, we're settling in well but still no internet. I don't think I've ever been "unplugged" this long before. I guess what I'm getting at is a lot is going on and I would love to share our new adventure but until we get our computer up and running, updates will be sporadic. We also just learned that dial-up is about the only way to go in our neck of the woods. Never thought I'd hear the hum of the modem again but I'm sure it will come to be a rather comforting noise. The sound of connecting with the outside world....

Somebody please turn the faucet off!

I swear there are some times I wish I was a less emotional person. Like this week for example. It would really help me with my goodbyes. I might get through them without turning into a tearful, unintelligible, sniffling individual. I guess it's a good thing though. It's making me realize how much I truly love this little city and all the people in it.

I'm already looking forward to the Vergennital Festival, details coming soon.....

Eggs!

Last Thursday I was cleaning the coop and one of our chickens (the Golden Comet) was acting so strange. She was following me around and was desperately trying to sneak out of the coop. I had a feeling she was looking for a place to lay.

When I went out to the coop Friday afternoon, this is what I found waiting for me!

Clearly the nesting boxes Jackson built were not to her liking.

I knew I'd be eggcited (sorry, I couldn't resist) to find that first egg but I was so proud, you'd think I laid it! I yelled at Jackson to bring the camera so I could capture the moment. She's been laying an egg a day and now I'm just waiting for the others to follow her lead

I'll let you know how they taste!

Payment Plans

First off before I forget, we are having the mother of all yard sales this weekend. Come by our place this Saturday (10-5pm) or Sunday (10-2pm) and find everything you've never needed! I promise you will not be disappointed.

So, in a effort to get rid of stuff before our move we are having the above mentioned yard sale and selling some things on Craigslist. I listed our nice dining table about a week ago and got a number of inquiries. My favorite was from a person whom I spoke with who wanted to purchase our table but wanted to make payments on it. Seriously? Payments? I applaud them for even thinking that this would be okay. They offered to make a payment, take the table home and then told us we could just get the rest of the money from them when we needed it. I kid you not. Needless to say we're not selling them the table.

We're now down to 19 days before the scheduled close. Still lots to do around here. I'm hoping that by having the yard sale and clearing things out we'll be able to see what we're really taking with us. Jackson is still in the middle of his huge basement project (have I already whined about that on here? No? Well trust me, you don't want to get me started...all I have to say is it involves cutting holes in our concrete basement floor, a lot of noise, a jackhammer and who knows what else). I'm still trying to figure out how to get anything done here with 3 kids under 3 years. Fortunately I've had a lot of help from our families. I can tell you though that this grey weather doesn't help me feel motivated. I dream of curling up in bed with a cup of tea, a cat and a book (I should just admit that I'm reading the Twilight novels, again). Funny that these day dreams tend to ignore the fact that there are 3 small beings that need to be cared for all day. Hmmm...what is my mind trying to tell me?

Breakin' the law

In our little town, chickens are not allowed within city limits. I know there a number of law breakers, us included.

They have yet to provide me with breakfast, but they're still a bit young for that.

Jackson built the most amazing coop. I use the term "built" loosely since it's still not finished. The one side that is looks great though, clapboards painted blue with white trim, just like our house. Restored windows with their own removable screens. Pretty posh for a couple of birds that just poop all over the place. Here's the thing though, the coop is coming with us. Yup, we're moving it over the mountain. How that's going to happen I don't really understand yet but I'm just going to let Jackson figure it out. Anyone with good ideas are welcome, as are those who want a good laugh when we try to get this thing off the ground.

40 Days

That's the time we have left until we move. 40 days. Seems like a lot of time but then seems like no time at all. I think about all that we have to do in those 40 days, pack, clean, organize, sell, throw away, donate, fix up, say goodbye. Lately I find myself have fleeting moments of panic and anxiety, hitting me at random times. Maybe I'm driving in the car, doing the dishes, nursing Finnley. Questions flood to me, are we making the right decision? Will we be happy there? What if this is a big mistake? Fortunately, the amount of times I feel like we're making the right decision, that we will be happy and it's not a mistake outweigh the moments of doubt.

40 days is not a lot of time.....

Our New Home

Yesterday we went and visited the farm and got a wonderful tour by the current owners. Here's a photo of what we will be calling home not to long from now.

This is the pond where someday Mason, Ava and Finnley will learn to swim. The barn is is the upper left corner and the house is in the upper center of the photo. I keep wanting someone to pinch me and wake me up from this incredible dream. Let the adventure begin!

Draft Horse Field Days

The family and I visited Shelburne Farms this weekend for the annual Draft Horse Field Days presented by the Green Mountain Draft Horse Association. It was a great event and offered me a lot of "horse time" which I have been greatly missing. We're really hoping to add a draft team to our operation once it is up and running and there is a lot to learn before we get to that point. I really liked the Spotted Draft, the Haflingers and the Draft Mules. Though the Shires and Percherons are beautiful, they're just a little too much horse for me. Once I get the hang of this thing, I'll post some photos (gotta look in to how to do that).

The Draft Mules

The Spotted Drafts

The Haflinger Team

Today's Revelations

Here are some of today's random thoughts:

1. I think Cheerio's might be single-handedly keeping my 10 month old alive.
2. I don't like the fact that stay-at-home mom's are not considered employed.
3. I really do have horrible posture.
4. I would love to just lie on the couch and read all day.
5. Sometimes I hide in the kitchen and eat a yummy treat and hope my kids don't find me because I don't want to share.
6. On beautiful days like today, I love living in Vermont.

Here We Go

So, I thought it was about time that I kept a blog. More for myself but hopefully, one day for others as well.

About me: I'm a mom to 3 under 3. Does that give you an idea of the chaos in which I live or should I go on? I also share my home with my husband, 2 dogs and 4 cats. Clearly, a glutton for punishment (and furballs). We currently live in a quaint town in Vermont but will soon be starting on a new Green Mountain adventure. So, push up your sleeves, dust off your boots and prepare for a very bumpy ride.